There is a part of me (my feminist side) that finds such targeting condescending...

Adults wishing that gender stereotypes don't exist won't make it so.

Little girls that play with toy cars and little boys that play with dolls are the exceptions.

I agree with crOsh. I find the title "female arduino" a bit problematic. (my first thought actually was "huh - they already have female pins".

cr0sh was not suggesting that the stereotypes dont exist - he was (I believe) commenting that there is no need to reinforce them. Calling this a "female" arduino somehow suggests that all the others (except maybe the lillypad, cause its purple :-S ) are a for men.

Dont get me wrong. I love the design, and I think many girls will like it. But just call it "Matryoshka-Duino" or whatnot.

Calling it a female arduino implicitly saying "Hello girls - electronics are a mans domain. So you cant relate to it. But hey. You can relate to dolls. So now we have made a doll shaped arduino, which you can relate to". Its also saying "Hello guys. Look we put a lot of effort into this design. Therefore its not for you. Electronics which are designed beautiful are not your domain".

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I know you will probably say that I am interpreting too much into this, but if you give it some thought, the message is implicitly there. Also - Seedstudio - I am not trying to frame you as sexists or something. I do not think you intend to say what I believe the implicit message is. I applaud you for your creative design - I really like it. I just suggest you think about how you want to market this.

There is a part of me (my feminist side) that finds such targeting condescending...

Adults wishing that gender stereotypes don't exist won't make it so.

Little girls that play with toy cars and little boys that play with dolls are the exceptions.

I agree with crOsh. I find the title "female arduino" a bit problematic. (my first thought actually was "huh - they already have female pins".

cr0sh was not suggesting that the stereotypes dont exist - he was (I believe) commenting that there is no need to reinforce them. Calling this a "female" arduino somehow suggests that all the others (except maybe the lillypad, cause its purple :-S ) are a for men.

Dont get me wrong. I love the design, and I think many girls will like it. But just call it "Matryoshka-Duino" or whatnot.

Calling it a female arduino implicitly saying "Hello girls - electronics are a mans domain. So you cant relate to it. But hey. You can relate to dolls. So now we have made a doll shaped arduino, which you can relate to". Its also saying "Hello guys. Look we put a lot of effort into this design. Therefore its not for you. Electronics which are designed beautiful are not your domain".

*

I know you will probably say that I am interpreting too much into this, but if you give it some thought, the message is implicitly there. Also - Seedstudio - I am not trying to frame you as sexists or something. I do not think you intend to say what I believe the implicit message is. I applaud you for your creative design - I really like it. I just suggest you think about how you want to market this.

p.

Hi Cr0sh and fkeel, thank you so much for sharing your opinions with us. This new version Seeeduino is called 'female version' is because the board has the shape of a cute little girl. It doesn't mean this board is designed only for lady makers.

Sorry that we did not define it clearly in the first place. This board should be taken as a combination of arts and technology. By designing this new version Seeeduino, Seeed wants to show that technology can be cute.

By combining arts and technology, we can create a bunch of cool and aesthetic stuff, which might surprise us! In the long run, we will have more cooperation with people from different fields, to have more versatile products.

Please don't be misled by the silly definition we gave to this board earlier. Thanks again for pointing it out and giving us the chance to clarify the misunderstanding.

Currently we are collecting ideas for giving this board a name, which will be used when we launch this new product to the market. Hope you guys could share your creative ideas with us^^

Again, I applaud your work - I by no means mean to discourage you pursuing creative alternative designs. I just encourage you to be sensitive to this issue, when deciding on a final name for the board.

Edit: About the name - I like what fungus originally suggested : Matroyskuino (though I would call it Matroyskino I think :-)

Arduino - we all accept this name and probably not all know what it means, we just got used to it (I think in Italian the "o" bit means it's masculine, but nobody cares).

Another silly name: if you have a strong girlfriend could you call her Arduina?

I think the market for this device could be for young people in general - as an adult I should leave well alone in trying to define what those youngsters might think about it. The best way is to ask them - the little people that will use it . The parents might want a say too, but I would ask them last

Arduino - we all accept this name and probably not all know what it means, we just got used to it (I think in Italian the "o" bit means it's masculine, but nobody cares).

Another silly name: if you have a strong girlfriend could you call her Arduina?

I think the market for this device could be for young people in general - as an adult I should leave well alone in trying to define what those youngsters might think about it. The best way is to ask them - the little people that will use it . The parents might want a say too, but I would ask them last

Karma+ Never heard complaints about pink power tool. PC is getting OTT IMO.

I might seem like an idiot but remember it takes one to know one.Forum user generally fall into three categories (the good, the bad & the a**hole) what category do you fit in?

That might be because you weren't listening; there are more than a few women who find such marketing (ie - pink products for women) to be very condescending as well. It isn't a "PC" thing - it's recognizing being a part of a "privileged" group (ie - being a male) and also being able to see outside of that group, to see the neg things that group puts on other groups (in this case, women). Then having the courage to say "This ain't cool, guys":

http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=4051

Now, I know that likely Seeedstudio wasn't going in this direction, and I don't want to wander this thread OT on this subject, because it doesn't belong here (so I won't say anything more on the topic). It was just one of those things that "stood out" to me - because I can see it for what it is, whether it was meant that way or not. It really is everywhere, as the above comic indicates. I mean - I can't describe it very well, but when you see it - YOU SEE IT - it's everywhere (and unfortunately, so many men aren't able to see it - and as a male, that makes me cringe).

I will not respond to Arduino help PM's from random forum users; if you have such a question, start a new topic thread.

That might be because you weren't listening; there are more than a few women who find such marketing (ie - pink products for women) to be very condescending as well.

But equally, women (and maybe some men) buy the products because they like them. Have these people been brainwashed into that? Who is right if you have two sides to the coin like this, someone is always a looser if the other side enforces there will on you.

Quote

It isn't a "PC" thing - it's recognizing being a part of a "privileged" group (ie - being a male) and also being able to see outside of that group, to see the neg things that group puts on other groups (in this case, women). Then having the courage to say "This ain't cool, guys":

Don't get me started on religion

Back on topic.I like the product concept and it will appeal to some (though not all) people. A functional but fun design.

I might seem like an idiot but remember it takes one to know one.Forum user generally fall into three categories (the good, the bad & the a**hole) what category do you fit in?

I was thinking about this cool design over the Christmas holiday and thought it would be great to see a new expansion of arduino board design into fun shaped boards with nice colours and patterns etc... as long as you can still fit shields on them. (I think it was due to seeing lots of new toys - I'm still a big kid really).

I like circular and round objects and symmetry. I know there is the lily pad but that is a completely different implementation.

There is also an industry based on personalised printing onto everyday objects - why not Arduino products too? I'm not really suggesting putting your face on an Arduino, but hey, whatever turns you on .

As engineers and scientist we might scoff. However, invention and imagination can create magic, and science / engineering is the real magic in our lives. It is easier to engage youngsters when ideas are presented with a bit of magic.